Rocky Mountain Revenge

by Rhonda Starnes

  Camden had only been twenty months old when Lisa died, too young to have many memories of her. When he’d started school and had realized most of his classmates had two parents, he’d started crying himself to sleep at night and didn’t want to let Evan out of his sight.

  The car in front of them pulled forward, and he followed. Only five cars ahead of him now, he was close enough to see the children waiting on the sidewalk, their backs against the building. Camden stood next to the assistant principal, Ms. Sims, his gaze downcast and shoulders slouched.

  His son’s pain ripped at Evan’s heart, which was why he’d do anything within his power to eliminate his fears, including dragging Grace to the school. “I’m sorry I wasn’t able to drop you off at the clinic first. It’s important for me to pick Camden up on time.”

  She nodded. “It’s fine.”

  “Lisa’s mom normally picks Cam up, but she and her husband had to fly to Arizona for the birth of a grandchild. They’ll be gone for two weeks.” Which was why Cam had spent the night with them last night, a school night, and why Evan had been the one to respond to Grace’s 9-1-1 call.

  “It’s okay, I understand.”

  “Thank you. Did you get a chance to talk to Valerie?” He still wasn’t convinced Grace’s plan was a good one. However, he also couldn’t guarantee any of the clinic employees were safe, with or without her presence. For the time being, he’d increase the patrols in the area, and he’d make a point of either him or another officer being at the clinic before the end of day. They could help her lock up and secure the premises.

  “No. Other than a text early this morning asking her to take care of Barkley until I got back. I can fill her in once we get to the clinic.”

  “Don’t tell her too much. The fewer people who know we suspect a connection to the clinic, the better.”

  “Don’t worry. I’m not one who overshares.”

  Evan remembered. Like she hadn’t shared her intentions of going away to school and never returning.

  He pulled forward. Ms. Sims said something to Camden, and he looked up and spotted the police vehicle, relief flooding his little face. Evan waved.

  The car in front of them pulled away from the curb, and he slid into the vacated spot, rolling down the window. “Sorry I’m late.”

  “It’s okay, Dad.” The words sounded good, but the smile looked forced. Poor guy. Evan had called his mom earlier to see if she could pick Camden up, but she’d been at a dentist’s appointment. There were less than two weeks left in the school year, but next year, Evan would need a better backup plan for someone to pick up Camden from school in an emergency.

  “You’re not late at all, chief.” The administrator opened the back door, and Camden climbed into the booster seat Evan had hurriedly picked up at a big-box store on their return from Denver. “See you, Monday, Camden.” Mrs. Sims shut the door and waved Evan on, ensuring the car-rider line ran like a well-oiled machine.

  He pulled up to the stop sign and glanced in his rearview mirror. “Hey, sport. Did you have a good day?” Camden didn’t reply. His gaze was fixed on Grace. “Camden, this is Dr. Porter. She’s a veterinarian. We’re giving her a ride to Porter Animal Clinic.”

  The smile that split Cam’s face was genuine and reached all the way to the green eyes he’d inherited from his mother. “Oh, boy! Can I pet the animals?”

  “It’s not a zoo—”

  “You can’t pet the patients,” Grace interrupted, twisting in her seat to smile at Camden. “But I’m sure Barkley would love some attention.”

  “Gracie, I’m—”

  “Who’s Barkley?” Camden asked.

  “My sister’s dog. I’m dog-sitting him for a while.”

  “Is he a puppy?”

  She giggled. “No, he’s a full-grown dog.”

  “Full-grown pony,” Evan muttered under his breath. In his peripheral vision, he saw Grace’s smile widen. She’d heard him.

  A horn blared behind them. Great. He’d stalled the movement of the car-rider line. He pulled out of the parking lot and headed north, half listening to the conversation between Grace and his son.

  “How old is Barkley?”

  “He’s three.”

  “Three?” Shock laced Camden’s little voice. “He’s a baby. I’m six. I’m more grown than him,” he added emphatically.

  Don’t rush it son. Don’t rush it.

  A melodious laugh emanated from Grace. “I don’t think anyone can call Barkley a baby. Wait until you meet him. He’s bigger than you are.”

  “No way,” Camden protested. Then he started telling Grace all the things he was taller than.

  A grin tugged at Evan’s lips. When he’d seen Camden’s crestfallen face, he’d been sure it would be a long, quiet ride home, but somehow Grace had turned it around.

  Ten minutes later, he pulled the SUV into the parking lot of the Porter Animal Clinic. The lot was empty, except for the two vehicles in the employee parking area at the side of the building. One was James Osborne’s luxury sports car, but Evan wasn’t sure who owned the other, less pretentious, economy vehicle.

  “Looks like business is slow today,” he said, parking in the spot closest to the front door.

  “What? That doesn’t make sense. I imagined the place would be swamped with nosy busybodies wanting to get the latest gossip.”

  “Grace, the people in this town care about your sister. If they’re talking about her, it’s not to gossip. It’s because they’re worried.”

  “Wait. There’s a sign on the door,” Grace noted, ignoring his words. She leaned forward. “‘Temporarily closed because of a family emergency.’”

  She unfastened her seat belt and opened her door. “What are they thinking?”

  “Hold on.” Evan bolted out of his seat and rushed around the back of the vehicle, scanning the area. Nothing seemed out of place.

  “Don’t forget me, Dad.” Camden banged his hand on the window, child security locks preventing him from letting himself out. Evan mentally kicked himself. Why hadn’t he found a babysitter for Cam? Because he hadn’t known whom to call, since he’d never needed a sitter before with both his and Lisa’s parents living close by and happy to help.

  Grace had already barged through the door of the clinic. He had to follow her. What about Camden? Would he be safer in the vehicle? The temperatures were still cool, but Evan couldn’t take a chance. Nothing to do but let Camden out of the backseat and follow her.

  “Son, I need you to obey me at all times while we’re here. Do you understand?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “I mean it, Cam. Don’t wander off. Stay where I tell you and listen to all my commands.”

  “Got it. Now can I see Barkley?”

  He escorted his small son into what should have been a fun and exciting environment, but for today was scary and unknown.

  Lord, I pray I’m not putting Cam in danger.

  Two prayers in one day. Could he be learning to talk to the Lord again?

  The twenty-third Psalm instantly sprang to mind.

  * * *

  Grace seethed. What had James been thinking? Why had he closed the clinic today? Dad had never closed the clinic during regular business hours. If he’d been unable to work, the office staff, vet techs and veterinary assistants still reported to the clinic to handle nonmedical emergency issues and to redirect emergencies to a veterinarian in a nearby town.

  The waiting area was empty. She glanced in the exam rooms, also empty. Next was James’s private office. Again empty. Where was he? She’d seen his vehicle. She knew he was there. The sound of drawers slamming came from her sister’s office.

  She rounded the receptionist’s desk. “James? Why is the clinic closed?”

  He strolled out of Chloe’s office. “Because I didn’t want to spend the day answering questions about wh
y I was here and not at the hospital with Chloe.”

  “If you didn’t want people gossiping about your marital affairs, you should have been faithful to your wife.”

  James startled, and his eyes widened.

  “Yes. Chloe told me. What I’m more interested in right now is what you were doing in her office.”

  “I don’t owe you an explanation.” He pushed past her, headed for the front door.

  “Actually, you do.”

  He pivoted on his heel and glared at her. “Do what?”

  “Owe me an explanation.” She met his eyes and willed her voice to remain steady, while her insides rattled as if an 8.0 quake had shaken the earth. Maybe it was having her life threatened twice in a matter of hours. Maybe it was because she’d failed Chloe as a big sister and she needed to make it right. Normally, Grace hated conflict, but she needed answers. “In case you’ve forgotten because of my absence, I’m co-owner of the clinic. So that makes me your boss.”

  He leaned in close. “What are you going to do, fire me? Chloe’s lawyer took care of that when he served me with papers. Didn’t he? That’s why you’re here, after all. Well, it’s all yours. If you can hold on to it, that is.”

  The bell over the front door jingled and Evan entered, a firm grasp on Camden’s hand.

  “Where are the puppy dogs?” Camden struggled to pull free of his dad’s grip, but Evan held firm. “Dr. Porter said I could meet Barkley.”

  “In a minute, son.” He escorted the child across the waiting area and stood beside her, his gaze fixed on James. “After Dr. Porter finishes talking to Dr. Osborne.”

  “We’re finished. Dr. Porter was just showing me the door,” James scoffed. “Good luck finding someone to replace me.” He turned and strode out of the building.

  “What was that all about?”

  “I’m not sure. He was in Chloe’s office. I think he was searching for something.” She inhaled sharply. “The tote bag is still in your car. Do you think he was looking for her computer?”

  “I don’t know.” Evan knelt to eye level with his son, the child a miniature version of his father, save for the green eyes. “Stay with Dr. Porter while I get her bag out of the car.”

  Grace desperately wanted to rush into her sister’s office and start searching through files, but she couldn’t very well do that with a child in tow. “So, how about we go find Barkley, and then you can help me feed him?”

  “Oh, boy!” Camden put his small hand into hers. “I begged Dad for a puppy, but he said I’m not old enough. Dr. Porter, how old do ya have to be to get a pet? My dad’s really old! Shouldn’t he be old enough to have one? If it was his pet, I could still play with it.” The child rattled on while they walked, not pausing long enough for her to respond.

  Grace led him toward the rear door. Hopefully, Valerie had put Barkley in the fenced-in kennel area instead of leaving him in the apartment all day. She reached for the knob, but the door opened before she could touch it. She gasped and shoved Camden behind her, blocking him from danger.

  “Grace!”

  “Oh!” She pressed a hand against her chest, as if the pressure could slow down the hammering of her heart. “Valerie, you startled me.”

  The tall, slender, black-haired woman who looked like she should be on a runway in New York City stepped across the threshold, Barkley at her heels. “I’m sorry. I was feeding the animals when I saw the chief’s SUV pull in. I thought you might be here to pick up Barkley.”

  The massive Great Dane almost knocked Grace down as he scrambled to check out the little boy peeking from behind her legs. “Camden, this is Barkley.”

  “He’s a giant!” The child stared in awe.

  “A gentle giant.” She laughed. “Barkley, sit.”

  The animal obeyed, his tail tapping a steady beat against the concrete floor. Grace knelt and ran her hands through his soft fur, rubbing the back of his neck. “It’s okay to pet him. Gently rub your hand over his shoulder. Good.”

  Barkley licked Camden’s face, and the child giggled. “He likes me.”

  “Of course he does.” She stood and faced Valerie. “Thank you for taking care of him today.”

  “No problem.” The veterinarian technician’s face grew solemn. “How’s Chloe? I heard you saved her—and you saw the attacker’s face.” Valerie moved in closer and added in a hushed tone, “Can you identify him?”

  A shiver went up Grace’s arm. How did Valerie know she’d seen the attacker’s face? Grace had only told Evan, and he wouldn’t have told anyone other than on a need-to-know basis. Her throat constricted. She shook her head and stepped back.

  Valerie offered her a sympathetic smile. “I couldn’t believe something like that could happen in our small town. Everyone’s on edge, wondering if this person will attack again. My mom is even locking her doors in the daytime. Why, I stopped by for lunch today and had to ring the doorbell.”

  An internal struggle, so familiar in her childhood, started in the pit of Grace’s stomach. Be honest with her lifelong friend and admit her fears Chloe wouldn’t survive and risk everything she said being front-page news tomorrow, or act as if everything was fine?

  “There’s no evidence the citizens of Blackberry Falls are in danger.” Evan stepped into the hallway and ruffled his son’s hair, a smile lighting his face. “But it’s always a good idea to keep your doors locked, even in a small town.”

  Gratitude washed over Grace. Once again, Evan had saved her. He’d done that numerous times in the last nineteen hours. First, protecting her from the person who wanted her dead, and now saving her from answering a difficult question. After fifteen years of being independent and on her own, Grace was afraid she was getting used to him being there for her. And that terrified her.

  * * *

  Grace opened one eye and looked at the clock on the bedside table. Three seventeen. Living alone had never spooked her, and the mental and physical exhaustion of the previous twenty-four hours had given her the hope of a sound night’s sleep. Instead, she’d heard every creak and rumble of the night—cars, animals and unidentified thuds and bumps. It had been after midnight before she had closed her eyes, only to awaken every twenty minutes or so. In total, she’d probably slept less than an hour.

  She flopped onto her back and stared at the ceiling.

  Evan had called a locksmith to change all the locks and codes on every exterior door in the clinic and the apartment. Then he’d insisted on staying with her until Camden’s bedtime. He ordered a pizza and chocolate-chip cookies from a local restaurant. After dinner, Camden and Barkley played together on the floor while she and Evan sat on the couch viewing the files on Chloe’s computer. To an observer, she was sure the scene would have looked like a typical family evening. That is until Evan checked all the doors, both in the clinic and the apartment, to ensure they were locked, did a full perimeter check, ordered hourly police patrols and drove off into the night with his son, while she and Barkley watched from the window.

  Throwing the cover off, Grace got out of bed and plodded into the kitchen for a drink of water. Her mind replayed the events of the day. Why had James been so evasive when Grace had asked what he’d been doing in Chloe’s office? He had to have been searching for something. But what?

  Her eyes fell upon the tote lying on the small kitchen table, the computer sitting off to the side. She picked up the bag and peered inside. She’d completely forgotten about the file folders. Grace had looked over them briefly at the hospital, but nothing had seemed out of place. What was she missing?

  Pulling the files out of the bag, she laid them open. Typical billing records. Dates and types of service, insurance payment, if any, and account balances.

  Wait a minute.

  She picked up the last folder she had slipped into the bag, the one that had been half hidden under the desk blotter. These weren’t accounting records, they
were medical records.

  Why would Chloe—who had a master’s in business administration and worked as the office manager—have medical records hidden in her office? And why a printed copy? The clinic used an online database to store and streamline patient records. They didn’t keep hard-copy files any longer.

  She scanned the pages. A toxicology report and a necropsy report. The patient, a three-year-old Thoroughbred stallion named Mountain Shadow, had died of sudden heart failure. At the time of death, in addition to high doses of caffeine, he also had high levels of Clenbuterol and Levothyroxine in his system. The two drugs Chloe had said were missing from inventory.

  Grace powered up the computer, then turned and searched the cabinets for coffee pods. She needed something stronger than water since it looked like she wouldn’t be going back to bed anytime soon.

  Steaming mug in hand, she scooped the laptop off the table and made her way to the faded green-plaid sofa in the small sitting area. Placing the mug on the side table, she sat and tucked one foot under her.

  Barkley plodded out of the bedroom and lay on the floor in front of the sofa.

  “You miss Chloe, don’t you, buddy?” Grace leaned over and scratched the Great Dane’s head, and he licked her palm. “It’s going to be okay. She’ll be back soon, and you’ll get all kinds of loving.”

  The dog yawned and laid his head down.

  “Good boy. You get some rest while I work.”

  She clicked the icon to access the online database and typed in the password.

  Please, Lord, let my hunch be wrong.

  She clicked on the search box and typed Mountain Shadow. After the spinning circle stopped, she opened the medical history and read the toxicology report. All the drugs listed on the paper copy were listed in the electronic file, but someone had lowered the toxicity levels. A careless typo by the transcriptionist? She didn’t think so.

  Next, she opened the electronic copy of the necropsy report. Cause of death was listed as heart failure due to a ventricular septal defect. A hole in the heart. A defect the Thoroughbred would have been born with. Why would someone falsify the clinic’s records? No, not why. Why was obvious. The stallion had died from an overdose of metabolism-enhancing drugs. Someone wanted to cover up the cause of death. The real question was who. The transcriptionist? One of the vet techs? James?